Medication dispensing system

ABSTRACT

A medication dispensing system is provided with several cooperating components which help to accommodate the responsible handling of medications. These systems include a user interface to receive input from the user and to present appropriate information/notices/alarms. Further, physical controls and multiple sensors are provided to detect tampering, misuse, and attempts to inappropriately access medications contained within the dispensing system. This misuse can thus be detected, and appropriate notifications can be provided, where appropriate. Further, by adding network communications capabilities, notices can be widely communicated to others, and operation of the medication dispensing system can be controlled and/or monitored remotely.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional App. Ser. No.62/396,150, filed Sep. 17, 2016, and is further a continuation in partof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/563,171, filed May 3, 2016, thecontents of both of the aforementioned applications being herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety. This application is furtherrelated to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/707,996, filedon even date herewith, the contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention is in the technical field of consumer medicalmedication dispensers and related systems. More particularly, thepresent invention is in the technical field of medication dispensersystems with improved efficiency and safety features.

The proper handling of medication is a significant concern in today'ssociety. Clearly, the use of medication in various medical treatmentswill help individuals enjoy an improved quality of life, and hascontributed to increased life expectancies. Misuse of drugs can createdsevere consequences, including death from overdose.

Medication dispensers often have issues or complications with bothsecurity and usability. In addition, very few extend their feature setto be enabled to store timing of events and allow that data to betransferred to the internet or remote server. Additional securityfeatures to prevent tampering of medications, undesired access andmisuse are a welcome addition to any pillbox.

Medication dispensers can be connected to remote servers allowing data(e.g. time when taken, missed medications, relevant statistics) andnotifications (e.g. text, emails, phone calls) to be sent to interestedparties (e.g. family caregivers, home health care, hospitals, insuranceagencies, pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers). However ownership andthe privacy of this data has not been addressed adequately in the priorart. In addition, laws like HIPAA specify certain restrictions in howprotected health information (PHI) is sent to covered entities. Userinterfaces are also difficult to navigate with current medicationdispensers and a robust model of replaceable cassettes has yet to beimplemented.

SUMMARY

The present medication dispenser and related systems provide a set offeatures that increase the security and the usability of a medicationdispenser.

In addition, a method is provided to ensure that proper ownership ismaintained for the data and notifications of a medication dispenserwhile still enabling that data to be shared in a secure and repeatablemanner. A user interface to better associated dispense times,medications, and compartments in a cassette is described. A generic andcustom labelling system associated with a medication dispenser isdescribed, along with several some cassette specific features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects and advantages of the medication dispenser can be seenfrom reading the following detailed description, in conjunction with thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medication dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the medication dispenser of FIG. 1 withportions removed to illustrate a control assembly and drive member;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the medication dispenser of FIG. 1 withportions removed to illustrate a cassette;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the medication dispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates a partial assembly view, with the lid 102 and acontrol/display panel removed;

FIG. 6 is a further partial assembly view showing a front side of themedication dispenser;

FIG. 7 illustrates one example of an Owner Account User Interface;

FIG. 8 is a subsection of the user interface as shown in FIG. 7, with amodal popup used to edit a specific dispense time (9:00 AM) of that day;

FIG. 9 illustrates a further user interface for medications and theirassociated dispense times;

FIG. 10 shows a further specified user interface;

FIG. 11 shows a corresponding subsection of the user interface;

FIG. 12 is yet a further illustration of a user interface formedications and their associated dispense times;

FIG. 13 shows a dashboard view of a medication dispenser; and

FIG. 14 presents a more detailed popup based upon the dashboard of FIG.13.

DESCRIPTION

In an effort to accommodate the proper handling of medications anddrugs, a medication dispenser 100 incorporates several safety features,including physical structures and systems to produce warning signals,notices, and lockouts. All of these features combine to produce amedication dispenser 100 that more effectively controls the responsiblehandling of drugs and medications.

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate medication dispenser 100, which includes a cover102 mounted to a base 104. Cover or lid 102 includes a first aperture106 and a second aperture 108. Aligned with the first aperture 106 is adisplay screen 110, while the second aperture is aligned with a cassette112. The cassette 112 includes a plurality of compartments 114A-N aswell as a covered compartment 116. Cassette 112 rotates about a centralaxis as operated through a control assembly 118 and a drive member 120.In one embodiment, the cassette 112 interfaces with the drive member 120to rotate therewith about the central axis. A port 122 is provided inthe base 104 that is in electrical communication with the controlassembly 118 so as to provide power thereto. Port 122 may also providean interface to related systems. In one example, port 122 may be a USBport.

The control assembly 118 is operatively coupled with the display screen110 and drive member 120. The display screen 110, in one embodiment, isa touch screen that receives input from a user and displays informationrelated to loading and operation of medication dispenser 100. The drivemember 120 is coupled with a motor (not shown) of the control assembly118 to rotate about the central axis. During operation, as directed bythe control assembly 118, the drive member 120 rotates cassette 112about the central axis in order to align one of the plurality ofcompartments 114 with aperture 108.

To that end, the cassette 112 includes a plurality of discrete positionsabout the central axis. In the illustrated embodiment, the cassette 112includes 15 discrete positions about the central axis, one for eachcompartment and one for the covered compartment.

In one embodiment, the cassette 112 includes a home or referenceposition relative to the display screen 110. Accordingly, the displayscreen 110 is configured to display information about each of theplurality of compartments 114, including an identifier for eachcompartment in immediate proximity to the compartment. During loading ofthe dispenser 100, the identifier for each compartment can behighlighted or otherwise provide an indication of medication to bepositioned within the adjacent compartment.

As further outlined below, medication dispenser 100 includes severalunique features which provide unique capabilities. It is understood thatthe present embodiment will include each of these features, butvariations may exists, including omitting certain features.

Touchscreen Interface

Typically, pillboxes or medical dispensers do not have an interactivedisplay, or much of a user interface. That said, display screen 110(also referred to as touchscreen 110) provides medication dispenser 100with several additional features and capabilities. As one example, apasscode interface could be utilized which only allows access to certainmenu items when the correct combination is entered. It should be notedthat many types of user interfaces could be used, including physicalbuttons, electronic sensors, and related displays. The passcode couldalso be used so that only the correct person (i.e. a home health aid)would be allowed to have medication dispenser 100 dispense medicationsat a certain time. The status of medication dispenser 100, includingwhat medications are loaded, and the location of such medications, couldalso be displayed on the touchscreen 110. Further, WiFi or otherconnection setup could also be accomplished through touchscreen 110.

Additional features are also enabled by having touchscreen 110 includedas part of medication dispenser 100. This could include trackingpersonal care attendants for home health care, tracking each of theirduties, or logging work hours. With the openness of a touchscreen basedplatform, any number of events could be track and could be classified as“touchscreen” events. The timing and history of these event can berecorded in digital memory in medication dispenser 100, and with aninternet connection to a remote server, the event and time can be storedin a remote database. Connection to the internet allows notifications tobe sent to any number of people or interested organizations or peopleabout this specific event. These notifications can be in any form suchas text (SMS) messages, phone calls, or other means, such as dashboardreports. The recording of these events could be used to identifypatterns and help stop tampering or help customers use medicationdispenser 100 correctly. If medication dispenser 100 is not connected tothe internet, then the recording of the event could be stored in localmemory and transferred at a later time or displayed locally ontouchscreen 110 or other similar interfaces.

Opening Switch

As generally illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, an additional level ofsecurity is provided by including an opening switch 20, which ispositioned in such a way to recognize when cover or lid 102 ofmedication dispenser 100 is opened or removed from the base 104. Openingswitch 20 could be either mechanical, as in this embodiment, or could beany alternative sensing medication dispenser 100 s, such as proximitysensors, light intensity sensors or laser gating mechanisms. A knob orsimilar structure on the underside of the lid 102 (not shown) could alsofacilitate the mechanical motion of the opening switch 20 when closingthe lid 102.

When the lid 102 is opened or separated from the base (or, the reverse,securing onto the base), the opening switch 20 is activated. Thechanging of the status of the opening switch 20 can activate an“opening” or “closing” event. The timing and history of these event canbe recorded in control assembly 118 within medication dispenser 100. Asfurther discussed below, control assembly will include severalcomponents, including memory, a processor or microcontroller, andrelated interface components. One such interface component will providean internet connection to a remote server (which allows the event andtime to be stored in a remote database). Connection to the internetallows notifications to be sent to any number of people or interestedorganizations or people about this specific event. These notificationscan be in any form such as text (SMS) messages, phone calls, or othermeans, such as dashboard reports. The recording of these events could beused to identify patterns and help stop tampering or help customers usemedication dispenser 100 correctly. If medication dispenser 100 is notconnected to the internet, then the recording of the event could bestored in local memory and transferred at a later time or displayedlocally on medication dispenser 100 through touchscreen 110.

Opening switch 20, in conjunction with the associated data recording andnotifications, can be used to enhance the security of medicationdispenser 100 as unexpected events would be an indication that someonemay be tampering with medication dispenser 100. In addition, openingswitch 20 could lead to prompting of events on medication dispenser 100through touchscreen 110, as further discussed below. For example, oncethe lid 102 is removed (“opened”), opening switch 20 could trigger atouchscreen 110 interface to automatically prepare medication dispenser100 for refilling (i.e. medication dispenser 100's cassette rotates intothe proper location). If medication dispenser 100 is not being tamperedwith, then the lid 102 would likely only be removed when medicationdispenser 100 is prepared for a refill (as in the current embodiment).Further, an alarm could also sound if the opening was not at an expectedtime.

Cassette Switch

A cassette switch 30 is positioned in base 104 in such a way to sensewhen the cassette 112 is removed from or placed in medication dispenser100. Cassette switch 300 could be either mechanical, or could functionin other manners such as measuring light intensity or laser gating. Whenthe cassette is removed or placed, the cassette switch 30 is activatedand is able to trigger a “cassette change” event.

The timing and history of these cassette change events can be recordedin control assembly 118 within medication dispenser 100. Again, with aninternet connection to a remote server, any cassette related events andrelated times can be stored in a remote database. Connection to theinternet allows notifications to be sent to any number of people orinterested organizations or people about this specific event. Thesenotifications can be in any form such as text (SMS) messages, phonecalls, or other means, such as dashboard reports. The recording of theseevents could be used to identify patterns and help stop tampering orhelp customers use medication dispenser 100 correctly. If medicationdispenser 100 is not connected to the internet, then the recording ofthe event could be stored in local memory and transferred at a latertime or displayed locally on touchscreen 110.

Cassette switch 30, along with all associated recordings andnotifications, can be used to enhance the security of medicationdispenser 100 as it would be an indication that someone may be tamperingwith medication dispenser 100 (if the event was unexpected). Inaddition, cassette switch 30 could lead to prompting of events onmedication dispenser 100 through an interface such as a touchscreen 110(see below). For example, once the cassette is removed then cassetteswitch 30 could trigger a touchscreen 110 interface to automaticallyprepare medication dispenser 100 for refilling. If medication dispenser100 is not being tampered with, then the cassette would likely only beremoved when medication dispenser 100 is ready for a refill (as in thecurrent embodiment). An alarm could also sound if the cassette removingor adding was not at an expected time.

Manually Motor Detection for Cassette Tampering

As mentioned above, and better illustrated in FIG. 5, a drive member ormotor 120 is used to drive cassette 112 in a circular motion. Motor 120can also be used to detect when medication dispenser 100 is misalignedor has been tampered with. With the current embodiment, a user could usetheir fingers or some other tool to manually move the cassette so thatadjacent compartments could be accessed (through the lid 102 aperturefor example). The user could then take medications outside of theirprescribed times if either of these or other compartments containedmedications. Although it may take considerable force to manually movethe cassette, it is valuable to know if it has been moved intentional orunintentionally, to insure proper alignment of the compartments with thelid 102 aperture or as evidence of tampering. Cassette 112 is coupled tomotor 120 through a guide piece and gear mechanism 124. When cassette112 is turned manually (not through the action of the motor) then thegear mechanism 124 and drive shaft 126 of motor 120 will also spin. Thisspinning of the motor drive shaft 126 will generate an electrical signalthat can be recognized by the control assembly 118 of medicationsmedication dispenser 100 as a specific “motor spin” event. The timingand history of these event can be recorded in digital memory of controlassembly 118, and/or in a remote database (via appropriate internetconnection). Connection to the internet also allows notifications to besent to any number of people or interested organizations or people aboutthis specific event. These notifications can be in any form such as text(SMS) messages, phone calls, or other means, such as dashboard reports.The recording of these events could be used to identify patterns andhelp stop tampering or help customers use medication dispenser 100correctly. If medication dispenser 100 is not connected to the internet,then the recording of the event could be stored in local memory andtransferred at a later time or displayed locally on touchscreen 110.

Accelerometer

To provide further control of medications, an accelerometer 40 ispositioned within medication dispenser 100. Primarily, accelerometer 40can be used as a mechanism to determine if someone has flippedmedication dispenser 100 during the interval when medication areavailable. This would trigger a “taken” or “dispensed” event andassociated actions could be taken. More specifically, this indicatesthat a user has “dumped” medication from the open compartment.

Accelerometer 40 could also be used to determine the orientation ofmedication dispenser 100 to ensure it is being used correctly. In thecurrent embodiment, medication dispenser 100 should initially be placedwith the aperture facing upwards to ensure that medications areappropriately position for delivery. Medication dispenser 100 then needsto be flipped to access the medications (and that this motion can berecorded). If someone were to place medication dispenser 100 on a tablewith the aperture downwards (i.e. face down), this improper orientationcould be recognized by the accelerometer 40 and trigger a “orientationoff” event. The same event could also trigger if medication dispenser100 was placed in a purse or backpack because is unlikely thatmedication dispenser 100 would be in the upright orientation. Ifmedication dispenser 100's orientation is not upright based on theaccelerometer 40 reading, then medication dispenser 100 could beprevented from moving to the next compartment with medications, until itis in the proper position. A buzzer or other action as specified belowcould also be triggered when medication dispenser 100 was in theincorrect orientation.

The accelerometer 40 could also recognize if there was any motion thatwould be consistent with a fall of medication dispenser 100, i.e. therewould be a threshold of acceleration. Calculated g-forces would thenindicate that the event was likely not an “orientation off” but a “fall”event. In the senior population, this would be particularly valuable asthey are less likely to have the dexterity to hold onto medicationdispenser 100 and medication dispenser 100 drops would be more frequent.When a “fall” event occurred, the user or caregiver of medicationdispenser 100 could be notified as specified below, the buzzer withinmedication dispenser 100 could also be set to trigger. Once a falloccurred and was tracked by the accelerometer 40, a user could follow upimmediately to see any damage was done to medication dispenser 100.

The accelerometer 40 could also be used as a means to control medicationdispenser 100 without a conventional mechanical switch 20 or other moreinvolved interfaces such as a touchscreen 110. Light touches couldtrigger, “tap” events on medication dispenser 100 and different areascould be recognized by the accelerometer 40 (based on how theorientation of medication dispenser 100 is changed) and be associatedwith control of the settings on medication dispenser 100 (cyclingthrough menus for example).

The accelerometer 40 could also be used to “wake” medication dispenser100 from a low power or sleep mode as motion would indicate that someonewas likely interacting with medication dispenser 100.

There are any number of events that can be tracked by accelerometer 40.It is possible to have real-time tracking rather than triggering ofspecific events. The events described above (“taken”, “dispensed”,“orientation off”, “fall”, “tap”) are just some of the examples. Forthese events and other possible events, including real-time tracking—thetiming and history of these event can be recorded in digital memory inmedication dispenser 100, and with an internet connection to a remoteserver, the event and time can be stored in a remote database.Connection to the internet allows notifications to be sent to any numberof people or interested organizations or people about this specificevent. These notifications can be in any form such as text (SMS)messages, phone calls, or other means, such as dashboard reports. Therecording of these events could be used to identify patterns and helpstop tampering or help customers use medication dispenser 100 correctly.If medication dispenser 100 is not connected to the internet, then therecording of the event could be stored in local memory and transferredat a later time or displayed locally on medication dispenser 100 throughtouchscreen 110.

Actuator or Screw Locking

In order to provide further tamper resistance, a combination of physicalstructures are used to prevent easy access to the interior of medicationdispenser 100. One such structure or mechanism is a less common screw,such as a torx head screw, and the associated wrench is used to preventmedication dispenser 100 from opening (i.e. “locking” the dispenser).The locking of medication dispenser 100 will help to prevent unintendedaccess to medications for parties that are not the intended users (i.e.children) or undesired desire access to medications outside of theprescribed schedule. The specialized screw spans the lid 102 ofmedication dispenser 100 and attaches to base 104 of medicationdispenser 100. Having a screw keeping the lid 102 and the baseconnected, prevents them from being separated and exposing themedications without first removing the screw. In order to remove thescrew, a wrench with the proper shape must be used. Using a less commonscrew type, e.g. torx, makes it less likely that the typical user wouldbe able to open medication dispenser 100 (i.e. it is locked).

Rather than having a screw and wrench combination to lock medicationdispenser 100, an actuator could be placed within medication dispenser100 to serve as the lock. A piston within the actuator could secure thelid 102 to the base 104. The mechanism to accomplish locking the lid 102to the base is unique in the current embodiment. Because the lid 102 isattached to the base with a screw thread spanning the inner edge of thelid 102 and outer edge of the base (FIG. 6), an actuator based lockingmechanism would only need to send the piston through the both the lid102 and base 104. A piston spanning both these parts, would prevent themfrom rotating with respect to one another. This would thus prevent thelid 102 from unscrewing from the base and would lock medicationdispenser 100 closed. This would be more difficult to accomplish with ahinge based mechanism attaching the lid 102 and the base together, asthe action of the piston will more likely be parallel to the action ofthe hinge and thus opening the lid 102 would allow the piston to threadthrough the hole (in the lid 102) that prevent opening with a screwbased mechanism.

An advantage of an electric actuator is that it can be controlledremotely or locally through a touchscreen 110 interface. With medicationdispenser 100 having a connection to a remote internet server, theactuator could be controlled by a secure user interface on a web page(or other means, e.g. text messages). This could be a caregiver or ahealthcare worker that is responsible for a patient. It would bepossible to have medication dispenser 100 only unlocked through a webinterface if desired. Additionally, the actuator could be controlled bya touchscreen 110 or other interface on medication dispenser 100. Thismethod would allow someone to be forced to enter a passcode or othersecurity measure on medication dispenser 100 to lock or unlock it.

The positioning of the on and off switch 20 for medication dispenser 100with respect to the lid 102 and locking mechanism is also an advantageof the current embodiment (not shown). If the on and off switch 20 ispositioned in such a way that it is only accessible if the lid 102 is“unlocked” and removed (i.e. underneath the lid 102), this would preventa user from quickly turning off a medication dispenser 100 (ifsimultaneously connected to backup battery power).

Alignment Switch

In the current embodiment, in order to make a compartment containingmedications available to the user (i.e. aligned with aperture 108), thecassette 112 containing the compartments and the correspondingmedications should be moved into the correct position with respect toaperture 108. As the motor 120 continues to function, there is oftensome slight variability with the alignment of the cassette 112 with thelid aperture 108. Over the course of continual use, these alignmenterrors may aggregate causing the alignment of the cassette to becomeincorrect. This could make it more difficult to have the correctcompartment accessible at the right time to dispense the correctmedications.

To offset this difficulty, an alignment switch 50, which can bemechanical or otherwise (i.e. light intensity), is placed in medicationdispenser 100 to realign the cassette with respect to the aperture 106(and medication dispenser 100 as a whole). In the current embodiment,alignment switch 50 is located on the inside of a ring 128 that ispowered by motor 120 and that the cassette fits onto. When ring 128 andhence cassette 112 is rotated by the motor 120, the alignment switch 20(attached to the base but facing the inner face of the ring 128) ispositioned in such a way to track the motion of the rotating cassette.During certain alignments of cassette 112 with respect to base 104,alignment switch 50 is triggered. This would cause an “alignment” event.The “alignment” event could then cause the motor to adjust the alignmentof the cassette with respect to the base and aperture (i.e. realign thecassette) or trigger other actions as specified below. This could alsobe used as a measure of tampering. If alignment of cassette 112 issignificantly out of place, it could indicate someone was manuallymoving the cassette and tampering with medication dispenser 100.Touchscreen 110 or other interface in conjunction with the alignmentswitch 50 could allow someone to have medication dispenser 100 performone full rotation of the cassette 112 (as in the current embodiment) tohave the alignment switch 50 trigger and ensure that alignment wasproper. This could also occur when medication dispenser 100 is restartedafter losing power, since it is more likely that the alignment wouldthen be off (and without power, changes in cassette orientation bymanually manipulation could not be sensed by motor detection asspecified above).

In the current embodiment, there is a notch on the inner face of ring128 that is used for realignment as specified above. Rather than havingone notch that triggers the alignment switch 20, there could be severalnotches along the inner face of ring 128 indicating different positions.As alignment switch 50 is mechanical or otherwise, the resulting signalis binary, either on or off. With a binary signal, it is not possible todetermine between one notch triggering the alignment switch 50 from aseparate notch triggering the alignment switch 50 because both give thesame binary signal. To overcome this difficulty, several notches (orother triggering means) could be put in patterns that are triggered incertain time frames. For example, if two notches are adjacent to oneanother, then they could subsequently be triggered within a small timeframe based on the speed of the cassette rotation. Two triggers in aspecified time frame could indicate a particular alignment, whereas onlyone trigger in a specified time frame could indicated a separatealignment (e.g. cassette at 180 degrees vs. 360 degrees). These couldall be separated into “alignment” events.

The timing and history of these event can be recorded in digital memoryin medication dispenser 100, and/or the event and time can be stored ina remote database. Again, connection to the internet allowsnotifications to be sent to any number of people or interestedorganizations or people about this specific event. These notificationscan be in any form such as text (SMS) messages, phone calls, or othermeans, such as dashboard reports. The recording of these events could beused to identify patterns and help stop tampering or help customers usemedication dispenser 100 correctly. If medication dispenser 100 is notconnected to the internet, then the recording of the event could bestored in local memory and transferred at a later time or displayedlocally on medication dispenser 100 through an interface like atouchscreen 110.

Unplugging Monitor

In an effort to provide more information regarding the operation andmaintenance of medication dispenser 100, monitoring electrical powercharacteristics can be beneficial. By determining voltage levelssupplied to control assembly 118 (i.e. the electronics controllingmedication dispenser 100) it is possible to determine if medicationdispenser 100 is plugged into wall power or if it running off batterypower. This is an advantage to medication dispenser 100, as it allowsfor prompts to be provided to the user for particular settingsautomatically, especially when going into battery mode from wall power.One of these modes could be a travel mode. Once medication dispenser 100was unplugged, medication dispenser 100 could ask the user if it wouldlike to go into travel mode (touchscreen 110 can provide the necessaryuser interface to carry out this inquiry). Travel mode could consist ofmedication dispenser 100 being prevented from automatically moving thecassette to the next compartment, but instead requiring a user to entera passcode or press a button. Other alarms (i.e. orientation triggered)could also be removed in travel mode. Travel mode would also beadvantageous if a medication dispenser 100 is carried in luggage or in apurse and the orientation would be variable (e.g. flipped in a purse).Unplugging at unexpected times could also indicate that medicationdispenser 100 is possibly being tampered with.

When medication dispenser 100 is unplugged (or plugged in) and this isrecognized by control assembly 118 within medication dispenser 100, thisis identified as an “unplugged” or “plugged” event. The timing andhistory of these events can be recorded in digital memory within controlassembly 118. Again, with an internet connection to a remote server, theevent and time can be stored in a remote database. Connection to theinternet allows notifications to be sent to any number of people orinterested organizations or people about this specific event. Thesenotifications can be in any form such as text (SMS) messages, phonecalls, or other means, such as dashboard reports. The recording of theseevents could be used to identify patterns and help stop tampering orhelp customers use medication dispenser 100 correctly. If medicationdispenser 100 is not connected to the internet, then the recording ofthe event could be stored in local memory and transferred at a latertime or displayed locally on touchscreen 110.

Charging Base

Various charging and power supply options can be provided to medicationdispenser 100. Rather than using a typical female and male jack,medication dispenser 100 could use induction (or contact pins) chargingto charge the battery. This option makes it possible to quickly removemedication dispenser 100 from a charging station without having tounplug medication dispenser 100. Similarly, medication dispenser 100could then it could be placed on the charging base to quickly begincharging when needed. Similar to the unplugging monitor discussed above,all of the same features would be available to the charging base withregard to monitoring the placement on the base (i.e. identifying as an“unplugging” and “plugging” event). The timing and history of theseevent can be recorded in digital memory in control assembly 118, andwith an internet connection to a remote server, the event and time canbe stored in a remote database. Connection to the internet allowsnotifications to be sent to any number of people or interestedorganizations or people about this specific event, where thesenotifications can be in any form such as text (SMS) messages, phonecalls, or other means, such as dashboard reports. The recording of theseevents could be used to identify patterns and help stop tampering orhelp customers use medication dispenser 100 correctly. If medicationdispenser 100 is not connected to the internet, then the recording ofthe event could be stored in local memory and transferred at a latertime or displayed locally on medication dispenser 100 throughtouchscreen 110.

Wifi Connection Monitoring

Medication dispenser 100 in the current embodiment maintains an activeinternet connection by default. While this could be WiFi, or a cellularconnection, it is advantageous to know the status of this connection. Ifmedication dispenser 100 is moved to a new area without internetconnection (i.e. out of wifi or cellular range) it could trigger atravel mode prompt as specified above. Losing internet connection couldindicate medication dispenser 100 is being tampered with as well(electronics destroyed for example). The loss of an existing internetconnection, or the gain of a new connection, could be considered a“connected” or “disconnected” event. The timing and history of theseevent can be recorded in digital memory in control assembly. Once again,with an internet connection to a remote server, the event and time canbe stored in a remote database. Connection to the internet allowsnotifications to be sent to any number of people or interestedorganizations or people about this specific event. These notificationscan be in any form such as text (SMS) messages, phone calls, or othermeans, such as dashboard reports. The recording of these events could beused to identify patterns and help stop tampering or help customers usemedication dispenser 100 correctly. If medication dispenser 100 is notconnected to the internet, then the recording of the event could bestored in local memory and transferred at a later time or displayedlocally on touchscreen 110.

Storing Status of Each Compartment

Similar medication dispensers configured in a circular or otherarrangement typically do not store real time information about thestatus of each of the compartment holding the medications. That said,storing information regarding the status of each compartment (i.e. pillsdispensed, pills missed, pills skipped), combined with a circular natureof medication dispenser 100, allows for additional feature that are notpresent in other products. If a medication is not taken in a desiredtime frame, then the circular cassette can rotate backwards to the lastcompartment that was empty and hence help prevent double dosing (becausethe above mentioned status information is stored in digital memory). Ifthe user continues to skip medications, medication dispenser 100 couldcontinue to return to an empty compartment, and then back to a filledcompartment and back to an empty compartment and so on. This wouldreduce the number of refills as every missed dose would be presentedrepeatedly through the aperture until it is taken.

Another option is that the circular cassette always moves forwardregardless if a medication is taken or not. At the end of thecompartments on the circular cassette, the cassette could loop backaround and attempt to dispense any missed medications if they are thecorrect medications for that time of day. These two different optionscould be selected for with an interface on medication dispenser 100 orthrough a web portal.

Calendar Syncing

With active schedules, users of medication dispenser 100 may havevarying times and places they take their medications depending on theday of the week (or month). For example, a user may always takemedications at 10:00 am on Saturdays when out for breakfast, rather thanthe typical Monday through Friday 8:00 am schedule. These more complexschedules could be programmed in advance, either through a web interfaceor on touchscreen 110 on medication dispenser 100. A remote server couldbe responsible for sending the updated schedule when the day of the weekarrives. If someone were to use a service like Google Calendar, thiscould automatically be uploaded on to medication dispenser 100 based onevents on that calendar.

Screw Lid

The prior art is limited in the number of pillboxes that use a screwmechanism to secure a lid 102 over medication dispenser 100. In thecurrent embodiment, a screw lid is used for a more streamlined design,more reliable performance, and easier manufacturing. As illustrated inFIG. 6, to secure screw lid 102 at the end point, a simple notch can beused to provide additional force to position the screw lid 102 at thecorrect location. The screw mechanism of lid 102 and base 104 providesthis screw-in coupling 64. To provide locking, a spring loaded tab 60 isprovided, and which cooperates with a notch 62. To open lid 102 by thescrewing motion, the spring lock must first be released with a downwardmotion at the lever. This could be used to prevent unnecessary tamperingand to prevent children or other parties from easily opening medicationdispenser 100.

Integrated USB Wall Charger and WiFi Hotspot

Many seniors who would most benefit from a medication dispenser 100 donot have WiFi enabled networking in their homes. If a WiFi module isused as in the current embodiment, then the potential user would nothave access to the multiple features associated with this connection. Toenable medication dispenser 100 to have access to the internet in thesecircumstances, medication dispenser 100 could have an embedded orseparate cellular connection. A cellular connection could be maintainedin a medication dispenser 100 with a WiFi module through a separate WiFihotspot. However, having a separate WiFi hotspot is a disadvantage tothe user while traveling, or otherwise, because they would have toremember more than one medication dispenser 100 to enable internetconnectivity. To offset this problem, a medication dispenser 100 couldbe made that integrates a WiFi module with a cellular module (and thusbe a WiFi hotspot) with the USB Wall Charger that is already paired withmedication dispenser 100. To allow charging with the current embodiment,a USB Wall Charger is used to transfer the power from a wall socket to aUSB cord and then to medication dispenser 100 (as commonly done withmany cellular phones). When travelling, the charging cord and USB WallCharger are commonly taken with medication dispenser 100. If the USBWall charger also had the electronics necessary to power a WiFi hotspotwithin its housing, it would allow the user less items for which to keeptrack. The WiFi hotspot would not need its own separate USB Wall Charger(and associated USB cord) for power and instead could draw power fromthe same medication dispenser 100 that powers medication dispenser 100.In sum, for a user with less access to WiFi, in the current embodimentthey would need medication dispenser 100, an integrated USB Wall Chargerand WiFi hotspot (all within one housing) and associated USB cord forthe complete package versus a medication dispenser 100, a USB Wallcharger for medication dispenser 100, a USB cord for medicationdispenser 100, a USB Wall Charger for the WiFi hotspot, and a USB cordfor the WiFi hotspot (2 less items).

Owner Account Setup and Use

To perform the various features outlined above, the system must beconfigured appropriate. This will insure that data is responsiblymaintained, and any data sharing is achieved in a responsible manner.This initially involves setting up the owner account, which involves thefollowing:

-   -   1. When medication dispenser 100 is first received, the user can        be instructed how to connect medication dispenser 100 to a        remote internet server through a method like a smartphone app or        computer terminal. The connection could be through WiFi,        cellular, or any other connection type.    -   2. Once connected, the dispenser could indicate that a web page        or app should be reached by the user in order to create an        “owner” account with medication dispenser 100.        -   a. The internet connection setup of step 1 could be            completed after “owner” account registration of steps 2-5.            The user may prefer to have the entire setup ready prior to            bringing medication dispenser 100 to the pill-taker's place            of residence (who may not be the “owner”) where the internet            connection must be maintained (unless it is cellular) and            therefore, steps 2-5 could be completed before step 1.    -   3. After the user reaches the web page or app and completes a        standard account registration process (i.e. fields such as name,        email, password), she can be asked for the serial number of        medication dispenser 100 which is its unique identifier        distinguishing it from other medication dispenser 100 s. She        could also choose to be a subscriber rather than an owner (as        specified below) and not have to enter a unique serial number.        -   a. The serial number could be labelled on medication            dispenser 100 or could be maintained in digital memory and            accessed through a screen interface (e.g. an LCD touchscreen            110)    -   4. The user would then enter the serial number of medication        dispenser 100 into the web page or app to begin associating a        medication dispenser 100 with a user account that was setup in        step 3.    -   5. The remote server would then send a signal to medication        dispenser 100 to place it into a mode that would require the        user to interact physically with medication dispenser 100 to        finish registration and pair medication dispenser 100 with the        user account. This could be a press of a touch screen with        associated message or some other action that could only be        completed on medication dispenser 100 such as a physical button        press. Having the user perform an action on medication dispenser        100 to finish pairing an owner account with medication dispenser        100, prevents users who do not own a particular medication        dispenser 100 from claiming that medication dispenser 100        remotely. This would serve to enhance security and could be        optional if too burdensome on the user.    -   6. The user could then interact with medication dispenser 100        through a touchscreen 110 or other method as specified above to        finish pairing medication dispenser 100 and its serial number        with the user account (if this option was used). The user would        now be considered the “owner” of medication dispenser 100.        -   a. In the current embodiment, there will only be one owner            per medication dispenser 100 to enhance security and            responsibility per medication dispenser 100. Owner accounts            could be moved from one medication dispenser 100 to another            and one owner could own multiple medication dispenser 100 s.            In other embodiments, one medication dispenser 100 could            have multiple owners.    -   7. The user and now “owner” of medication dispenser 100 will be        given access to the user interface that allows medication        dispenser 100 to be setup, including times medications are        taken, what medications are taken, and what notifications are        associated with particular times medications are taken and other        events (FIG. 1).    -   8. The owner would have the option of adding subscribers        (described below) to their medication dispenser 100 by entering        the relevant information to identify a unique subscriber        account, such as an associated subscriber account email.        -   a. In the current embodiment, the owner would maintain            control of who was allowed to be a subscriber to medication            dispenser 100 they own and could remove a subscriber at any            point through a user interface or other means.        -   b. The owner could maintain control of the number of            features and data that are available to each subscriber. For            example, one subscriber may be able to access the            medications a subscriber is taking, whereas another could            only access the times medications were taken.

Subscriber Account Setup and Use

In a similar manner, subscriber accounts must be setup. The “subscriber”account could be set up through a web or app interface that wouldcontain standard account registration fields such as a name, email, andpassword. If the user intends to setup and use a medication dispenser100 (as specified above), they could be given the option to complete an“owner” account rather than an “subscriber” account. More specifically,setup would involve a subscriber being required to specify if they are acovered entity by HIPAA, such as someone who is associated with ahospital or home health care organization. Once completed, the userwould be considered a “subscriber” and have control of a “subscriberaccount”.

A “subscriber” account would have the option to request access tospecific features and data of “owner” accounts and medication. Onemethod to request access would be to have a user interface that allows asubscriber to type in the email or other unique identifier of an “owner”account. After requesting access to an “owner” account associated with amedication dispenser 100, a notification could be sent to the “owner”account, through email or other means (e.g. a notification on medicationdispenser 100). The “owner” account would then have to approve whetherthey would like to give access to the particular subscriber account thatis requesting access.

If the “subscriber” account confirms it is a covered entity under HIPAA,the “owner” account could be required to waive HIPAA protection fortheir PHI through an online form or other means for that particular“subscriber.” The step could be bypassed if the “subscriber” was not acovered entity. This distinction allows the company selling medicationdispenser 100 to maintain HIPAA compliance with a variety of users. Forexample, a family member who is not considered a covered entity wouldnot require the owner of medication dispenser 100 to sign a HIPAA waiverwhereas a nursing director for a home health care organization wouldrequire the owner of a medication dispenser 100 to sign a HIPAA waiver.In addition, if the company is HIPAA compliant, these steps could beremoved. This could also be given as a warning rather than waiver. Theowner account could also choose to de-identify the informationassociated with their medication dispenser 100(s) so that theinformation sent to the subscriber would no longer be PHI as it is notassociated with an identifier.

Following these guidelines, the “owner” could then confirm that thesubscriber could have access to the account through a number of methodssuch as clicking on a custom URL on a web page (the owner could alsohave control over which exact type and amount information being sent,with de-identification as specified above, or only access to specificparts or data such as medications and times dispensed). Once subscribedto an “owner's” account (after their approval) and hence a particularmedication dispenser 100 or medication dispenser 100 s, the subscribercould have access to a limited number of features and/or data asspecified by the owner or defaulted by the company. One such piece ofaccess would simply be an API with the stream of that user's adherencedata. In the current embodiment, certain parts of the user interfacethat an “owner” account would have access to are limited for the“subscriber” account.

Referring to FIG. 7, an example of an “Owner” account user interface 200with full access to all features that is present with the owner account.As presented here, the user is able to set up the times a medicationwill be taken throughout the day. The dots 202 and 204 (which can becolored using any number colors) associated with specific times are usedto simplify the association between the times of day dispensing occurs,the compartments dispensed at each time, and the medication in eachcompartment. As illustrated, there are two times that medicationdispenser 100 will dispense in this example so there are two dots. Ifthere were more or less dispensing times, then there would also be thesame number of associated dots (or other indicators). Associated witheach time of dispensing is a number of reminders 208. In this example,each time of dispensing (9:00 am and 6:00 pm) is associated with threereminders, a light and two text reminders. In an “owner” account, a userwould be able to see the reminders that were implemented by the user aswell as any reminders that were placed by subscriber accounts. In thecurrent embodiment, there can only be one sound or light reminderassociated with each event, because it is a binary event (ON/OFF) thatoccurs only on medication dispenser 100 (unlike a text or email messagewhich occurs remotely). Because of this, the “owner” account would bethe only account that would have access to light and sound reminders.Unlike light and sound reminders, there can be any number of text,email, and phone reminders and a subscriber could have the ability toplace their own (and remove them).

The owner account would also have the ability to place and remove theirown reminders, but also the ability to remove “subscriber” reminders.Below the “MEDICATION TIMES” tab are a number of tabs representingspecific events (“PILLS TAKEN”, “PILLS MISSED”, “REFILL NEEDED”, “WIFICONNECTION”. Under each event, is a number of notifications associatedwith each event. These notifications are either text, email, or phonereminders for each event in the current embodiment. There can be anynumber of events rather than the four displayed, such as “LID 102OPENED” or “TRAY MOVED”. Similar to reminders above, each event can havetext or email notifications trigger when the event happens (rather thanat a specific time as above). An owner account would have the ability toplace notifications and the ability to remove “subscriber”notifications. A subscriber could have the ability to place (and remove)their own notifications for each event, but would not have the abilityto change the owners or other subscribers events (same as with remindersabove).

In the owner account, the user would have full access and be able tochange the timing of dispenses (e.g. from 9 am to 10 am). An owneraccount would also be able to add/remove reminders and removesubscribers reminders, as illustrated in FIG. 8. In the currentembodiment, as best illustrated in FIG. 9, the “owner” account is ableto have access to the “EDIT” button and the “ADD NEW MEDICATION”.Dispense times in this example are 11:03 and 11:06 am rather than the 9am and 6 pm in the above examples. Each of the dots 202 and 204 areassociated with a specific dispense times for each of the medications.For example, Amoxil is taken at both dispense times as potentiallyrepresented by the fullfilled colored dots (i.e. could be green andorange color dots, for example). Further, Aspirin is only taken at 11:03am with the fulfilled first dot (green) but not the second dot (orange).

FIG. 10 further shows a corresponding user interface to set up the timesa medication will be taken throughout the day for a “subscriber” accountvs. the “owner” account in FIG. 7. Here, only the “subscriber” accountis shown, allowing the subscriber to see and edit the reminders (a textmessage at 9:20 am and at 6:25 pm) that the particular subscriber hasadded. In this embodiment, the “subscriber” account cannot see or editthe reminders that are set by an “owner” account or other “subscriber”accounts. In other embodiments, this restriction could be removed.Similarly, the “subscriber” account in this example can only see andedit the notifications it has placed (an email for a “PILLS TAKEN” eventand a text for a “REFILL NEEDED” event).

A modal popup is used to edit a specific dispense time (9:00 AM) of thatday, as shown in FIG. 11. Unlike FIG. 8 for the “owner” account, herethe “subscriber” account is unable to change the “MEDICATION TIME” from6:00 PM to other times. Limiting “subscriber” accounts in this wayprevent more than one party (i.e. anyone other than the “owner”) fromchanging a crucial setting on medication dispenser 100. The “subscriber”account is still able to alter the text reminder and its associatedsettings for the reminder that they set. In this example, (as shown inFIG. 11) the “subscriber” account is not able to access other remindersset by the “owner” account or other “subscriber” accounts.

In the current embodiment, the “subscriber” account is not able to haveaccess the “EDIT” button and the “ADD NEW MEDICATION” that are presentfor and “owner” account in FIG. 9. By preventing one or multiple“subscriber” accounts from being able to alter the medication scheduleof the pill-taker, one can assure that only the “owner” account is ableto make changes.

Turning now to FIGS. 13 and 14, a dashboard view of medication dispenser100 is illustrated. Here, each of the compartments are presented with alabeled letter (i.e. letters A-M). In addition, each of the compartmentsalso has an associated status indicator, such as MISSED, SKIPPED, NEXT,or UPCOMING to indicate what is the history or next upcoming actionrelated to the particular compartment. In addition, there is also a daytimeline to indicate the windows of time when medication are available,and other significant events, such as disconnection, updates, refills,and other events. The timeline could also back in time to see other daysalong with their associated events.

Cassette Specific Features

To facilitate swapping and identification of the removable cassettesinto medication dispenser 100 of the current embodiment, specificlabelling methods, electronic or otherwise, could be used. For example,an RFID tag could be embedded into a cassette with a reader within theelectronics of medication dispenser 100. If the RFID tag did not matchthe expected cassette when read by medication dispenser 100, any numberof actions could occur, including sending text notifications, storingthe information on a remote server, flashing or alarming at medicationdispenser 100, and prevention of operation. Similarly, if the RFID tagdid match the expected cassette when read by medication dispenser 100medication dispenser 100 could continue to function normally (as well assending a number of medications) or any number of events could occurincluding sending text notifications and storing the information on aremote server. Rather than using a RFID tag or other electronic meanssuch as NFC or low energy bluetooth, a physical marking could be presenton medication dispenser 100 such as a number of notches or otherphysical markings could be used. A bar coding system could also be used.Reading each of these different marking systems could be accomplishedwith different reading systems such as physical switches or a barcodereader.

A cassette may also come pair with a sealable top in order to preservemedications contained within the compartment. A membrane may be usedbetween the lid 102 and cassette to keep the lid 102 airtight to furtherairtight.

Various embodiments of the invention have been described above forpurposes of illustrating the details thereof and to enable one ofordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. The details andfeatures of the disclosed embodiment[s] are not intended to be limiting,as many variations and modifications will be readily apparent to thoseof skill in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure isintended to be interpreted broadly and to include all variations andmodifications coming within the scope and spirit of the appended claimsand their legal equivalents.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A medication dispensing system comprising:a cassette having a plurality of separated chambers, with each chamberbeing configured to contain a plurality of medications; a housingcontaining the cassette and accommodating the controlled access to apredetermined chamber, the housing comprising a base and a movablecover, wherein the movable cover has an access opening which ispositionable above any one of the plurality of separated chambers; anaccelerometer positioned within the housing and configured to detect anorientation of the housing; a drive mechanism coupled to the base andthe movable cover to control movement of the cassette relative to thebase; a user interface coupled to the housing, the user interfacecapable of presenting information and receiving commands; and a controlsystem operatively coupled to the user interface and the drivemechanism, the control system configured to engage the drive mechanismonly when the accelerometer detects a desired orientation and based upona dispensing schedule having a plurality of dispensing events stored inthe control system, wherein each one of the plurality of dispensingevents comprises a dispensing type and dispensing time, by generatingappropriate drive control signals in response to the one of thedispensing events, which causes the drive mechanism to engage toposition the access opening and the designated chamber adjacent oneanother.
 2. The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the control systemcomprises a controller and a memory, and wherein the dispensing scheduleis maintained within the memory.
 3. The dispensing system of claim 1wherein the user interface comprises a programmable touchscreen panel.4. The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the drive mechanism isconfigured to produce stray electrical current when the cassettephysically moved.
 5. The dispensing system of claim 4 wherein thecontrol system will detect the stray electrical current and will cause awarning signal to be displayed on the user interface.
 6. The dispensingsystem of claim 1 further comprising a communications interface allowingthe control system to share information with a remote computing system.7. The dispensing system of claim 6 wherein the communication interfaceis a WIFI transceiver capable of communicating with a WIFI enablednetwork.
 8. The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the control systemcomprises a processor, memory and communication interfaces to receivesignals from the user interface.
 9. The dispensing system of claim 1wherein the base and cover are securely coupled to one another andinclude tamper prevention mechanisms, comprising at least one of anopening switch, a locking screw, or an interlocking spring loaded tab.10. A medication dispensing system comprising: a cassette having aplurality of separated chambers, with each chamber being configured tocontain a plurality of medications; a housing containing the cassetteand accommodating the controlled access to a predetermined chamber, thehousing comprising a base and a movable cover, wherein the movable coverhas an access opening which is positionable above any one of theplurality of separated chambers; a lid sensor arranged between themovable cover and the base, the lid sensor configured to detectengagement of the movable cover and the base to determine whether thehousing is in a closed position or an open position, wherein at leastone control feature of the medication dispensing system is inaccessiblein the closed position; a drive mechanism coupled to the base and themovable cover to control movement of the cassette relative to the base;a user interface coupled to the housing, the user interface capable ofpresenting information and receiving commands; and a control systemoperatively coupled to the user interface and the drive mechanism, thecontrol system configured to engage the drive mechanism based upon adispensing schedule having a plurality of dispensing events stored inthe control system, wherein each one of the plurality of dispensingevents comprises a dispensing type and dispensing time, by generatingappropriate drive control signals in response to the one of thedispensing events, which causes the drive mechanism to engage toposition the access opening and the designated chamber adjacent oneanother.
 11. The dispensing system of claim 10 wherein the controlsystem comprises a controller and a memory, and wherein the dispensingschedule is maintained within the memory.
 12. The dispensing system ofclaim 10 wherein the user interface comprises a programmable touchscreenpanel.
 13. The dispensing system of claim 10 wherein the drive mechanismis configured to produce stray electrical current when the cassettephysically moved.
 14. The dispensing system of claim 13 wherein thecontrol system will detect the stray electrical current and will cause awarning signal to be displayed on the user interface.
 15. The dispensingsystem of claim 10 further comprising a communications interfaceallowing the control system to share information with a remote computingsystem.
 16. The dispensing system of claim 15 wherein the communicationinterface is a WIFI transceiver capable of communicating with a WIFIenabled network.
 17. The dispensing system of claim 10 wherein thecontrol system comprises a processor, memory and communicationinterfaces to receive signals from the user interface.
 18. Thedispensing system of claim 10 wherein the base and cover are securelycoupled to one another and include tamper prevention mechanisms,comprising at least one of an opening switch, a locking screw, or aninterlocking spring loaded tab.